Remember When

10 years ago (2014) •Longtime Mary Jane Brown Home activities director Janice Fick said a tearful goodbye to co-workers and residents in her retirement party June 30. Fick began her tenure at MJB in 1979 when she was a 16-year-old high school student. After attending college and earning a teaching degree, she returned 24 years ago and has served on the staff ever since. Fick shared a few…

10 years ago (2014) •The Rock County Historical Society is requesting $150,000 each from the Luverne City Council and the Rock County Board of Commissioners. The request comes as part of a $900,000 fundraising campaign to transform the downtown Ford Motor building into the new History Center, as it will be called. History Center Fundraising Chairman Greg Burger presented a preliminary project…

10 years ago (2014) •The parishioners of St. Mary’s Church in Ellsworth and St. Catherine’s Church in Luverne are celebrating a special milestone this month. The Rev. Msgr. Eugene Egan, known to most as “Father Egan,” was ordained into the Catholic priesthood 60 years ago on June 6, 1954.” Egan grew up in rural Ellsworth and graduated from high school in 1946. He currently resides at the…

10 years ago (2014) •A group of athletes participated in the Annual Relay Iowa last weekend, Friday to Sunday (June 6, 7, 8). This is the longest running relay in the United States. The 339-mile running relay starts at Sioux City and continues east across the entire state of Iowa and ends in Dubuque. There were 29 teams entered this year, and Luverne Dave’s Duffy entered an all-female team…

10 years ago (2014) •Luverne will host its 30th Annual Buffalo Days celebration this weekend, marking three decades of community pride. “That’s a long time ago and it’s certainly worth noting,” said Luverne Chamber Director Jane Lanphere. “We just really need to compliment all the different groups over the years who have partnered to enrich, enhance and develop the event to keep it relevant…

10 years ago (2014) •Ask someone to describe what a school nurse does, and there may be as many different answers as the people who are asked. And they may all be correct. The list of responsibilities and tasks assigned to school nurses today is much longer than most people probably realize. Luverne school nurse Deb Vander Kooi has been covering all of them and more since 1992 when she began…

10 years ago (2014) •Magnolia native Blair Knutson played a role in the recent launch of the Dragon Capsule which delivered 2.5 tons of equipment and supplies to the crew at the International Space Station April 20. Knutson, an engineer at SpaceX in Hawthorn, Calif., helped design and manufacture the spacecraft fuel tanks. The current mission launched on April 18 atop the Falcon 9 version 1.1…

10 years ago (2014) •Tuesday was a big day for local early childhood education supporters and the “Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom” in Luverne. A groundbreaking Tuesday morning put the wheels in motion for a new outdoor classroom to be built near the elementary school between the bus garage and playground. Discovery Time Preschool Teacher Angie Janiszeski has taken the lead to implement the…

10 years ago (2014) •Darling’s Bend will get a major upgrade later this month, thanks to grant money approved for Vienna Township. The minimum maintenance road northeast of Luverne has degraded over the years to a single-lane dirt path in some places, and the ditches and right of way have filled in with weeds and trees. Vienna Township Chairman Kraig Rust applied for a grant through the DNR…

10 years ago (2014) •Brian Sterling, Sioux Falls, will open Sterling’s Café and Grille in downtown Luverne this summer. “Everyone I’ve spoken with in Luverne is excited about the restaurant and has been very supportive of my plans,” Sterling said. “That’s very encour-aging to me to have that kind of support from the community.” Sterling will lease the main floor of the newly restored…

10 years ago (2014) •The demand for gently used clothing in Luverne is big — so big that Sassy Seconds owners and sisters Sue (Christensen) Hoffman and Amy (Christensen) Cowell have expanded their gently used clothing store into the building next door. The sisters looked a little dazed after their relocation open house last weekend and admitted they are tired. “I think we are both exhausted,”…

10 years ago (2014) •Old Glory will have a prominent place in the middle of Luverne after a flag park is completed this summer at the intersection of Highway 75 and Main Street. The design committee of LIFT (Luverne Initiatives For Tomorrow) has been working with city officials to rework the corner, which currently has a “Prairie Playground” theme with grasses and wildflowers. The plan calls…

10 years ago (2014) •Racing platforms have been part of the indoor Luverne swimming pool for decades, but they are finally being used by local competitive swimmers. Local swimming instructors Karla and Shelby Van Santen are coaching a Snowfox Swim Team, a year-round competitive swimming program with chapters across the United States. With 12 swimmers currently on the team, the coaches say the…

10 years ago (2014) •The Luverne City Council meeting convened in the Luverne Fire Hall Tuesday, March 18, for a show-and-tell of sorts for the department’s new fire truck. The new truck was delivered earlier this month, and Fire Chief Dave Van Batavia took council members on a tour of the fire hall, focusing primarily on the new $442,000 pumper. He said the cab is large enough to transport…

10 years ago (2014) •More than 30 local teenagers gave up food for 30 hours last week to learn about hunger and to raise money for world hunger relief. Living Rock Church youth director Kourtney Leuthold coordinated the weekend, which involved an overnight camp-out at church, volunteering and going hungry for a day. “The goal is to raise $5,000,” she said. “Last year we raised $2,000, but my…

10 years ago (2014) •On March 3 Palace Video and Tanning posted an announcement on its Facebook page. “After over 30 years in the entertainment business we have decided to retire,” owners Larry and Carlene Boll wrote. “We would like to thank you for your patronage to Palace Video and Tanning over the years.” … The Bolls have been entertaining area residents for more than 30 years, dating back…